Amplifier Packing Tips For Me ?

Jesse Harris · From: Ventura, California, USA

I just sold an amplifier to a fellow forumite and I am going to go pack it up, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me to pack it safely to protect it from the gorillas. Its a fender tube amp so I am especially concerned.

thanks in advance,
Jesse

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Fender amps of this weight range are difficult to ship in one piece. Often the joints of the cabinet will break at teh top (more prominent with amps built after the Blackface era of the 60's).I remove the chassis and pull the tubes (each tube wrapped in bubble wrap). Pack the chassis in a seperate box. Stertch wrap is good around the chassis, helps protect the pinted surfaces. I also cut a piece of heavy plastic and put it against the back of the speaker. You can then put manuals, wrapped tubes, footswitch (wrapped) and the cord in there. I then fill the cavity with bubble wrap and then put a piece of cardboard there to hold it in. I wrap the amp in stretch wrap. After that I tape on a piece of cardboard to the front and the back of the wrapped amp. A good layer of bubble wrap or styro-foams is need in the bottom and top of the shipping box. Then backfill the box with packing peanuts. Be sure to use a new/heavey grade box. UPS will not cover any damage for an item shipped in a used box.
Mailboxes Etc (now the UPS Store) does not do a very good job with amps. I have received several they packed and it is any wonder they survived the trip.

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

I just did this a week ago. I asked my favorite dealer if he had any amp boxes. Short story is yes, right size, with foam all around.

If you have to do it the hard way, double box it. A light weight box all around the amp. Put it in stout box with foam or peanut packing.

Good luck

Ron

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

You could try the dumpster behind Guitar Center.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I won't go through all the other details. I guess they've been covered pretty well, however; I also sold an amp and shipped it to Switzerland from Nashville. I did something that may be helpful for the spring-reverb. I removed it from the tolex-bag, and placed cotton-type batting inside the casing to keep the spring-unit from flopping around in transit, and replaced it in the bag. I shipped it in an original carton for that particular amp.

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Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

That's a great idea John. The reverb units can really take a beating in shipment. You cannot be too careful!
The worst damage is usually with Silverface era and later Fender amps. The cabinets are weak, as Fender had quit using a finger-jointed corner. Often these amps are seen with a split along the Tolex from front to rear at the top corners. The best bet is to remove the chassis and pack it in a seperate carton. Tightly shrink wrapping the cabinet or banding the cab together is the next best thing to protect the cabinet.
As I ship a lot of amps that I restore and repair, I am always checking the local music stores for shipping cartons. I also buy shrink-wrap, bubble wrap and packing peanuts in fairly large quantities from local shipping supply vendors. The savings buying in quantity is very well worth it! Of course most people do not ship that much or that often, so that might not be a good option for all.

Doug Earnest · From: Branson, MO USA

Furniture stores are a very good source of sheet styrofoam and cardboard/styrofoam corners. The corners are a great help in packing.

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Jesse,
To add to other peoples advice....Pull all the tubes and bubble wrap them, the cotton idea is a good one for the reverb, and then my last idea ...( I know it sounds very weird )
Ship the amp upside down !!!...The weight of the transformers are now pushing down on the chassis rather than hanging down from the chassis !!...If the box is dropped, the trasformers will already be down at the bottom and will stand a better chance of not loosenign up ....I already had a Dr Z Carmen Ghia come to me with the tranformer RIPPED fromt the chassis and it was hanging by one of four screws !!!....I think they must have thought it was a football or something ???..
Hope this helps.....Jim

[This message was edited by James Quackenbush on 21 August 2003 at 04:29 PM.]

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I do not mean to dispute, but here is my experience:
I shipped a few upside down. Still had damage on two amps I shipped (both upside down and both Silverface amps, a Twin and a Vibrolux). Amps were packed with stryo-foam corners and the works. UPS and FedEx do not know or care which side is up. They kick and roll larger boxes to move them (first hand knowlege from a friend that works there). With the larger amps, the transformers are going to distort the chassis. Ever big amp I have had shipped to me has had some tweeking on the chassis caused by the transformers. Champs, Deluxes, Princetons do well packed upside down or right side up (remember the last time it sees right side up is when you sit on the counter at the UPS drop-off).
The Vibrolux was the really big disappointment. It came to me with a damaged upper joint due to shipping. I removed all the Tolex and repaired the corner (reglued and stapled with 2" staples, like original). I packed it ever so careful. It got there a a busted upper corner, torn Tolex and a broken grill frame. UPS would not cover, said it was a "used" shipping container. They self insure and write their own rules. If you pack in a new box with bubble wrap only, they will deny the claim. They state bubble wrap is not good for items weighing this much! Best to check their website for recommended packing. Since they have bought Mailboxes,Etc (now the UPS Store) you can let them ship it (at twice the normal freight rate). If they break it, then no argument about packing methods!

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